About the artist Crystal Beshara BFA, FOWS Born in 1975, Crystal Beshara is an award-winning Ottawa artist and illustrator. A self-taught realist artist, she has been drawing and painting since childhood. Shortly after graduating with her BFA, she became the youngest elected Fellow of The Ottawa Watercolour Society. She works in watercolour, graphite, oil, and pastel and has been selected for many corporate commissions including the Crowne Plaza Hotel and the Canadian Museum of Civilization. In 2005 Crystal helped found the Red Salon Artists (art group which fosters networking of local artists in various disciplines). In 2007 she was nominated as one of Ottawa’s Best Emerging Artists and elected into the esteemed International Guild of Realism. In 2009 her first children’s book When I Visit the Farm (written and illustrated by Crystal) was released internationally. In 2010 Crystal proudly acknowledges the support of her first Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Bursary. This international grant is awarded to artists working specifically in realism. A familiar face in the media both as an illustrator and fine artist, Crystal has been a regular guest art instructor on Rogers Daytime television, appeared on CBC’s Living in Ottawa, CTV news, CTV Regional Contact and CBC Radio All in a Day. Crystal has recently been accepted into the Diploma program for the Society of Botanical Artists in the UK. Contact Crystal directly if you have questions about a commission or taking a class.http://www.redsalonartists.comhttp://www.realismguild.com/Welcome_.htmlhttp://www.elizabethgreenshieldsfoundation.org/http://www.elizabethgreenshieldsfoundation.org/http://www.rogerstelevision.com/option.asp?rid=4&lid=16&tid=12900http://www.cbc.ca/livinginottawa/player.page?playerId=livinginottawa&maven_playlistId=240c8ca3794c7996f50e9f145b68c37abfdd6ffd&maven_referrer=mrss&maven_referralPlaylistId=240c8ca3794c7996f50e9f145b68c37abfdd6ffd&maven_referralObject=3836933http://www.cbc.ca/livinginottawa/player.page?playerId=livinginottawa&maven_playlistId=240c8ca3794c7996f50e9f145b68c37abfdd6ffd&maven_referrer=mrss&maven_referralPlaylistId=240c8ca3794c7996f50e9f145b68c37abfdd6ffd&maven_referralObject=3836933http://www.soc-botanical-artists.org/members/stevens.phpContact.htmlshapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1shapeimage_2_link_2shapeimage_2_link_3shapeimage_2_link_4shapeimage_2_link_5shapeimage_2_link_6shapeimage_2_link_7shapeimage_2_link_8shapeimage_2_link_9

In the News

· Eastern Ontario AGRINEWS Cover feature, April 26, 2010
· CTV NEWS at 6:00, Interview “ When I visit the Farm” March 26, 2009
· The Quill & Quire, Books for young people. Review of “When I visit the Farm”, April 2009
· Nepean This Week, “Local Artist Opens New Art School” March 2009
· CBC Ottawa Living Guest artist for “Wall Art” March 2009
· CBC Ottawa Living Flight of the Bumble Bee Book November 2008
· Rogers Daytime Television, 2005, 2006,2007,2008
· CKCU Special Blend with Sue Johnston Oct. 2006
· News at Noon, CJOH/CTV May 31, 2005
· Daytime, Rogers Television May 26, 2005
· Ottawa Sun, June 10, 2005
· Nepean This Week, June 08, 2005
· Centretown News, April 2004
· Ottawa Life Magazine, May 2000
· Regional Contact, October 1999 CTV/CJOH, Joel Haslam
· CJOH/CTV NEWS, 1999 “Artwork for a Landmark” Derek Miller
· All in a Day, CBC Radio, October 1999 Host Ken Rockburn
· The Fulcrum, cover story, October 1999 Ian Capstick
· The Ottawa Xpress, 1999  Mark & Steve Baylin
· The Fulcrum, 1997 Stephanie Powers


Awards & Grants

· 2010 Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Bursary
· 2008 First Place Award for Street Smart Kidz Online Art competition
· 2007 Nominated as Ottawa’s top 3 emerging Artists OSA awards
· 2006 Nepean Fine Arts League First Prize Excellence award and Trophy, “Isaiah” watercolour
· 2006 Nepean Fine Arts League First Prize Jurors Choice, “Isaiah” watercolour
· 2006 Nepean Fine Arts League Members Choice, “Isaiah” watercolour
· March 2005 Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance
· Tulip Festival artist assistance for Tulip Garden project
· Cultural Contributions Bursary PPHS 1993


Memberships

· 2007-present International Guild of Realism elected member
· 2007-present Artists who Teach     
· 2005-present Red Salon Artists
· 2004-present Nepean Fine Arts League
· 1999-present Art Lending of Ottawa
· 1997-present Ottawa Watercolour Society, elected as a Fellow FOWS, 2001



FOR PRICES, COMMISSION INQUIRIES OR TO BOOK A STUDIO:
Please contact Crystal

 

Crystal Beshara

Artist Statement

The more I paint, the more I realize how much my rural upbringing influences my work. It taught me to slow down, pay attention, listen, take in my environment and record every morsel on paper.

A rusted tractor in its rich palette of Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna and splattering of Prussian Blue... A barn door etched with decades of wood beetle tracks, pierced with horsehair and splashed in Chinese White are to me, the perfect subjects to paint.

Even now, ( as a suburbanite! ) it is those years spent observing, tracing those beetle tracks with my paintbrush that persuade me to keep drawing and painting. I am always trying to recreate those perfect moments when we stumble across someone else’s history and simultaneously create our own.